Poll opposes renaming Magruder Elementary

For the second time, local residents oppose renaming a local school. York School Board got the results Monday night, will decide next steps at their regular meeting Sept. 22.

Poll opposed changing the name of Magruder Elementary

For the second time this year, a proposal to change the name of a school in the Historic Triangle because of ties to slaveholders failed the test of popular opinion.

York County school families and residents voted against changing the name of Magruder Elementary School in a recent poll, the school board was told Monday night.

At the board’s work session Monday, they learned the results of polling conducted between July 8-18 asking whether the Magruder name should be changed to avoid associations with a Confederate General.

The majority of responses – 1,700 – were from questionnaires sent to individuals with connections to the schools, said James E. Carroll, Chief Operating Officer of the York school system.

Another 327 county residents with no school ties, and more than 80 nonresidents, answered the poll online.

Full results of poll available at https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/ycsd/Board.nsf/vpublic?open

Respondents identified with the school system voted by a margin of 57%-33% against renaming Magruder. Another 11% had no opinion.

York County residents who did not have a connection to the county school system voted 58% - 40% against renaming the school, with 2% saying they had no opinion.

Non-residents provided the largest percentage of voters in favor of changing the name, but a majority of 51% voted against changing the Magruder name, with 47% in favor and 2% saying they had no opinion.

School board members will decide what to do about the survey results at their regular meeting Sept. 22.

Williamsburg-James City County school board members tabled consideration of changing the name of James Blair Middle School in May, after a poll of community members showed the majority opposed changing the name.

Carroll said those opposed to renaming Magruder elementary cited the cost of making the name change as their primary reason, followed by the opinion that we should learn from history rather than try to change it.

Those who favored changing the name cited as their primary reason opposition to honoring Confederate actors.

There has been disagreement in York whether Magruder is named after Confederate General John Magruder or the local area. James Blair is named after the first president of William & Mary, who owned slaves.

Carroll said the total cost of changing Magruder’s name would amount to $64,750 in materials and staff time.